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    Vancouver Lookout

    4.1 (153 reviews)

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    I will admit that initially, I was a bit sceptical of giving this attraction a try, as in some cities like Toronto with the CN Tower, the price of admission is quite steep to the point where it should be considered a tourist trap. However, I was with a group of friends and they had never been up the lookout tower, so I was convinced enough to give this place a try. I must say that the price of admission was lower than I was expecting (maybe because I'm used to Toronto-like prices as an Ontario resident? Who knows) for an attraction like this. The views are beautiful, and they're even better if you go on a clear day like I did. I also found the lookout not too crowded and overrun with people. That's a good thing. There's also plenty of information about the city to take in while at the top, and my group and I found the staff quite pleasant and helpful. Make sure to take lots of pictures even if you don't feel like doing so. You will regret it later if you didn't. I know there's some reviews that might disagree with my take, but I think for the amount of time you'll spend up at the top, which is less on average compared to other attractions like the CN Tower and One World Observatory, it's worth it. Plan to spend a maximum of 30 minutes all in all here, don't set your expectations too high in that sense or you will be guaranteed disappointed.

    Layne D.

    I don't regret coming to the lookout, but you really are basically just paying to take an elevator ride up to see the view. Which is fine! But it's about $19 for an adult to ride up. Some may not think this is a good value. They do have a few plaques with information around the viewing area and apparently there is an audio tour you can access via your phone. It's a small circle though, we spent maybe 20 minutes tops looking around. There is no food or drink available for purchase either, so if you want to dine or have a drink you definitely want to look into the restaurant. That said; the views are awesome when visibility is good and the staff we encountered were friendly! I'm glad we did it, but I probably wouldn't do it again.

    Amy D.

    In our opinion, if a city has a tower, take advantage! Going up is a great way to see the city and surrounding areas. This was lovely because there was a voice tour you could follow on your phone to learn more. We took advantage of a beautiful day in early August to see around us. We got there around 4:30pm on a Friday and walked right on the elevator after buying a ticket from the counter. The elevator is quick and smooth. The views were stunning. We walked from our hotel, so I can't comment on parking.

    City view
    Todd P.

    Like most towers, this is a great overlook of the city. We were pleasantly surprised at the lack of visitors in the tower. We came on a weekday just after opening, and I don't believe there were more than 20 people in the place. There are 360° views and places to listen to commentary about what you're seeing as well as placards describing things in the background. We spent around half an hour looking at all the destinations and taking lots of pictures. We can recommend a stop here for a beautiful view of Vancouver.

    Jason V.

    A ticket (purchased from self-service kiosks on the ground floor, while employees who could be selling them to you watch, and occasionally help) is required to board the elevator to the viewing platform high above the city, and will net you some of the best views of the Vancouver metropolitan area, including Vancouver harbor, Mount Baker and beyond, but it prohibitively (and unnecessarily) expensive. There are plaques identifying and commenting on historical landmarks, as well as free wifi and a guided audio tour accessible from your phone or mobile device. When you're finished, you can head back down, or make your way further upwards to the Top of Vancouver revolving restaurant, which is also prohibitively expensive, so if the ticket(s) you just purchased didn't break the bank, a meal and a couple of cocktails upstairs definitely will.

    At the top of the lookout
    Jocelyn A.

    This is such a cool activity if you are not from the area and want to get a great lookout of all downtown. You can purchase tickets online, it was in a mall which closed earlier than the last elevator up, so make sure you park close to the lookout entrance or you'll have to walk all around the block. It is self paced and the worker tells you where in the elevator you'll be going to. There is the lookout on one level and a restaurant on the other. It was cool to see the downtown area, read some facts, and it was free to look through their telescopes. But it was super small, we finished in about 30 minutes or so. I think my expectation was like the Seattle's space needle. Nonetheless still cool to visit

    Vince L.

    When visiting a city, I like to find the tourist site where I can look across the city. This is the place to do it. There was a bit of rain the day we were here, but we lucked out with a bit of time when it was clear enough to appreciate the city. Vancouver is a beautiful place. Getting up and down via the elevators was very orderly. If you so desire, there are some gift shops at the first level. Plus, there are plenty of convenient stores and eateries around the location.

    Jessica W.

    I always go to each city that has a lookout or observation deck. This is a 360 city view once you are on the top. The elevator ride is an opened wondow ypu can see on one side of the city. Once on top, there are so many window frames around the lookout that throws off the view. And there isn't much to see while you are up there, for the price you pay. I was only there for 20 minutes and went down after. You won't miss much if you pass on this.

    Leilani G.

    The Vancouver lookout wasn't originally in our trip plans but we ended up with some extra time during our visit so we decided to buy tickets. It was so worth it! We went up on a Wednesday afternoon around 3pm and there were only about 10-12 other people up at the top. I enjoyed reading all the information and history and of course the views were absolutely gorgeous. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area, it is worth the price!

    Steve I.

    So yes I go to every observation deck I can find when visiting a city mainly because of my love of skyscrapers. So even if I have been to a city numerous times I will pay the $20-30 to go up again in case new buildings have been built since my last visit. Anyways this particular observation deck is small. Not much room to move around or hang out. Just a circular walkway around. Wonderful views of the skyscrapers, mountains, vancouver harbour, and the rest of the city. $18 for adults. I think you are about 500ft up (which is low compared to other cities observation decks). Quick access to the top as I dont think it ever gets super busy. Good starting point when visiting Vancouver.

    At Urban grind event. 633 steps to the observatory deck.
    Mari E.

    This review is about Urban Grind event hosted by Vancouver Lookout. Therefore I haven't paid regular admission. But instead of that, I paid $5 entry fee and $2 donation for coat check. I spent about 10 min agony to climb to the observatory deck but worth it to see the gorgeous view, free craft beer and $5 food voucher at downstairs food court. From 2019, they introduced time check tip and every day they post the best climber for both male and female. I really love this event and I'm sure I will be back next year.

    Jeff S.

    Great place to go if visiting Vancouver for the first time. Decided to come here to scope out the city and where we might go to during our stay. The elevators were smooth and the views were great. There is a free audio tour as long as you scan a QR code on your phone. We didn't bring headphones so I would recommend bringing some of your own prior to visiting. This location is right next to Gastown and Canada place, so it's easy to do something else after your tour. This stop will only take 30mins of your time if you decide to listen to the audio tour.

    Tigra C.

    This was very cool. We only had 2 full days in Vancouver, so I hopped at the 48-Hour HOHO tour that offered a free ticket to Vancouver Lookout. The Vancouver Trolley dropped us off a few hundred feet from the entrance. Inside the building, there weren't any signs directing us where to go, but security told us to go downstairs (so take the escalator down) to the ground floor. Once downstairs, there is a Vancouver Lookout desk. There you can purchase tickets to the lookout or exchange your voucher for an entry ticket. Once you have your ticket, enter the elevator (also on the ground floor), and press the button for the Lookout Tower. On your way up, you'll be treated to an ascending view of the city via the exterior facing glass door on the elevator. When we reached the top, we began our 360 view of the city. The skies were clear for the hour that we were there so we could see the city clearly. (A cloudy day would make this a wasted trip.) It was especially neat to see over the harbor and mountains from this view. I was told to return later to see the sunset and the city lit up in night lights. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to return that evening, but on the next trip to YVR, I'd return for a sunset viewing from the lookout tower. There is a small gift shop area up in the tower and their prices were very reasonable.

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    U should check it out if ur in the area. It has such an amazing view of the Vancouver skyline and great for pictures.

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    Vancouver Lookout Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Vancouver Lookout

    I don't think you can have a better view of the entire city than from the Lookout at Harbour Centre.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Tour Guys Vancouver - FREE tours of Vancouver

    Tour Guys Vancouver

    (80 reviews)

    Downtown

    Not only can you not lose because this is a FREE tour...but you will gain so much interesting info!…read more I'm sure hopping on and off a bus would be just fine, but for us, with just one short day in this vast city, we were looking for a quick connection, and that's exactly what we got on this recent Sunday. We met our tour guide, Ali at the designated time (11am) at the designated place, and 20 or so of us enjoyed an incredibly interesting walking tour of Chinatown. There is no way we would have gotten the feel for this city had we not taken this tour. Several folks were repeat tour guy visitors, so they must have enjoyed those as well. Our group had folks from several countries. It is a relaxed tour at a pace that is just right...not too fast and not too slow. Seriously, just right! And absolutely everyone in our group was happy to hand over generous thank you tips. Well-deserved. Ali was kind enough at the end of the tour to guide anyone who wanted dining suggestions or directions. For us, he was even kind enough to let us walk along with him since we were heading in the same direction. As a result, we were fortunate enough to get an extended tour, as he remained a wealth of Vancouver info as we went along. Highly recommend!

    I love FREE, Culture, history, and having a tour that rolls all 3 together…read more We took the Free Downtown & Chinatown Tour with Alex. She pointed out some places of interest, told us the history of Chinatown, took us to a herbal store, and ended the tour at the Chinese Gardens. The tour was over 2 hours, and she gave suggestions for lunch. I love these type of tours because they are given by people who have lived there for a good amount of time, and who are passionate about what they are presenting. She was no exception.

    Sea Vancouver - Gotta take a pic with the Cap!

    Sea Vancouver

    (10 reviews)

    Granville Island/False Creek

    Very bad business practice…read more We booked a 3pm tour. It was the last day that we are in Vancouver, we would be flying home that night. At 1:45pm, after we have planned our whole day around the excursion and checked out of the hotel in preparation of this tour, Sea Vancouver office called and said they are cancelling my tour because they "need a minimum of 4 people and only 3 people booked". I explained that we are leaving the city that day, and we planned our whole day around this, and if there is anything they can do. It is unreasonable to only notify me 75 minutes prior to departure time - we were already on the way to the departure point! The only thing they said was that they will refund me in full (I'd better hope so since you cancelled it with incredibly short notice!) I understand that it may not be economical to operate a tour based on fixed cost, but this was NOT written anywhere when I booked it on the official website, but they were happy to take my money when I booked. The confirmation email stated "We reserve the right to delay or cancel a departure for events beyond our control (e.g. adverse weather conditions, technical or mechanical issues, etc.)" -- well, operating a boat when there are "only" 3 paying customers is definitely in their control, they just choose to screw over their customers. This has put a really sour taste on my trip to Vancouver. I would encourage everybody to stay away.

    First of all, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this for all! Specially if its your first time in…read moreVancouver or have not been around the harbor! This was our first time in Vancouver, and whats not a better way to experience it than by taking a boat tour! We honestly planned this boat tour super last minute, so we called a few places, but they were all closed. Fortunately, Sea Vancouver still had tours going out until 7pm which was the last one! The lobby is located in the Westin hotel and the ride is 90 minutes long, which takes you all around the harbor of Vancouver to the English Bay! There was so much to see at the waterfront and we even saw a few dolphins along the ride! We were hoping for orcas too but maybe next time haha. Overall the boat tour was absolutely amazing! Terry our captain, made the experience super educational a fun! Love that guy! Thanks Cap! And thank you Sea Vancouver!

    Stanley Park - Autumn is my favorite color

    Stanley Park

    (1.2k reviews)

    Coal Harbour

    we drove around stanley park after dinner and caught the sunset, hoping to catch a glimpse of a…read morehumpback whale or maybe even a pod of orcas passing through the water. no such luck this time, but honestly the park still delivered. instead, we spotted a seagull standing perfectly still with a starfish clamped proudly in its mouth like some kind of seafood trophy. it looked both deeply proud of itself and slightly terrified to move in case it dropped its prize. it's easy to understand why stanley park is considered vancouver's most famous attraction. somehow this enormous urban park manages to combine rainforest, beaches, wildlife, gardens, ocean views, and the downtown skyline all in one place without ever feeling overly busy or commercialised. the drive through the park alone is worth it. take your time, there is construction going on right now. winding roads curve beneath towering western red cedars, douglas firs, and hemlocks before suddenly opening up to sweeping coastal views. every turn feels completely different from the last. the stanley park seawall is really the centrepiece of the entire experience. wrapping around the waterfront with nearly nonstop views of english bay, burrard inlet, lions gate bridge, the north shore mountains, and the vancouver skyline, it's the kind of place where people naturally slow down. cyclists cruise past runners, dog walkers stop to admire the scenery, tourists pause every few metres for photos, and families wander along the path with ice cream in hand. prospect point was easily one of the highlights, especially near sunset with the view stretching towards lions gate bridge and the mountains beyond. brockton point lighthouse added another classic postcard view, while the sailboats gathered near the royal vancouver yacht club made the harbour glow in the evening light. along the seawall we passed the scuba diver statue resting casually on a rock beside the water, definitely a scuba diver, not a mermaid, and somehow it perfectly matches the atmosphere of the park: peaceful, slightly quirky, and unmistakably west coast. lost lagoon brought a completely different energy from the oceanfront sections of the park. surrounded by trees and calm walking paths, the water reflected the skyline while ducks, geese, and other birds drifted quietly across the surface. second beach and third beach were both full of people making the most of the evening. second beach has the famous heated outdoor pool sitting right beside the ocean, along with volleyball courts, picnic areas, and one of the best sunset spots in the park. third beach felt quieter and more tucked away, with people stretched out on driftwood logs watching the sky slowly shift colours over english bay. nearby, the teahouse sits hidden among the trees, blending naturally into the surroundings. what makes stanley park stand out is how much there is beyond the famous seawall. tucked throughout the park are forest trails, gardens, playgrounds, tennis courts, public art, wildlife viewing areas, the pitch and putt golf course, and the vancouver aquarium hidden among the trees. despite sitting beside downtown vancouver, the park rarely feels urban. within minutes you can go from skyline views and busy pathways to quiet forest roads where all you hear is wind moving through the trees and waves hitting the shoreline. it's the contrast that makes the place memorable. even without spotting whales or orcas, the evening felt unforgettable. stanley park isn't just a place you visit once for the photos, it's the kind of place you keep wanting to return to because every section of it feels slightly different from the last.

    Stanley Park was at the top of my must-do list while visiting Vancouver--and it was easily one of…read moremy favorite activities. The urban park spans over 1,000 lush acres and has such a rich history. It officially opened as a public park in 1888, named after Lord Stanley, Canada's Governor General at the time. We decided to experience it in the best way possible: on two wheels. After renting bicycles near Coal Harbor, we set off along the park's famous seawall--a scenic path that loops around the entire perimeter and offers nonstop views of ocean, mountains, city, and skyline. It's the kind of ride where you find yourself stopping often because every turn reveals beautiful views. Along the way, we made stops at some of the park's most iconic landmarks. The Stanley Park Totem Poles were vibrant and deeply rooted in Indigenous culture and storytelling. We continued on to the Girl in a Wetsuit statue, and then made our way up to Prospect Point. Don't forget to take in the view of the Lions Gate Bridge stretching across the water! Further along, we stopped to admire Siwash Rock before finishing our route near A-maze-ing Laughter by English Bay. After hours of heavy rain, we got incredibly lucky--the skies cleared what felt like just for us, and we were able to enjoy the entire ride in fresh, crisp air. I was so happy seeing the beaches along the way and the tree-lined paths glowing with orange leaves as we soaked in the last bits of autumn. Best of all, we were treated to a beautiful sunset at English Bay. It felt like the perfect closing moment--peaceful, golden, and well-earned after a full loop around the park. I can't recommend visiting Stanley Park enough. Wish we had enough time to visit the teahouse, but will have to save that for next time. If you're short on time but want to see a lot, biking the seawall is absolutely the way to go. It's active, scenic, and such a memorable way to experience one of Vancouver's most beloved places.

    Sea To Sky Gondola - Hot chocolate with a view!

    Sea To Sky Gondola

    (228 reviews)

    This was indeed some of the best views I have ever seen. This area is a breath of fresh air. It is…read moreso spectacular and the gondola was fun to attend. Please be warn if you have a fear of heights. My friend and I upload with another set of friends and experienced the ride up. During the right, the gondola came to a complete stop for less than a minute. But it was windy and the gondola swung back and forth. It was a bit scary, but quickly the track continued a the gondola continued to ascent to the submit. At the top, there is the suspension bridge. Which is really nice. It gives a nice view of the submit lodge. There are small hikes around the place and the views from those hikes are magnificent. Once you're done with your hikes, you can venture inside the submit lodge. Inside is a good selection of food options.

    Sea to Sky Gondola is one of those activities where you feel like it should be more novel than…read moreanything else. You hear the ride up and down is only 10 minutes and you start to wonder if the money spent is worth it. But then as you ascend up the mountain and look all around you in this beautifully clear and clean gondola, the lake below is pristine. The mountains around you barely hide the clouds as they lazily drift by. The trees envelop you with all their greenery. All of this is happening in these mere 10 minutes. However, once you arrive up top and get off the gondola a large selection of different adventures await you. You could warm yourself up at the visitor centre just right of the gondolas where you can get some hot food and look out through its huge glass windows out into the wilderness. You could also walk outside said visitor centre and onto the suspension bridge. It looks daunting at first, but it isn't too long and you get some wonderful photos from it. There are also several different hikes located all throughout the area with varying degrees of difficulty. The one just on the other side of the suspension bridge is an easy loop hike you can do under ten minutes with astounding moments of forest bathing. You can also go and ski or tube when there is snow. When you go with a tour package, usually you only have about an hour and a half of time up here, but if you're on your own this could easily be a 3-4 hour excursion. Those the price might be steep for some to utilize the gondolas, if you decide to make a day trip out of this visit it'll be worth the money to get the views, air, and experience that is Sea to Sky Gondola.

    Fraser Valley Heritage Railway - Cannaught Car 1304

    Fraser Valley Heritage Railway

    (4 reviews)

    My husband and I came here for a special event. We were greeted by a welcoming staff (and a bagpipe…read moreband from the fire department). First we rode an interurban car for a short portion of their track. Then we took a tour of their facility starting with their bee garden through their shop and finishing with a ride on their velocipede and modified pump car. Because it was a special event, we had a catered lunch (they use the catering business next door), which was simple, delicious, and way better than a boxed lunch. We finished the afternoon with a final ride on their Queen Car -- Connaught 1304 car. We had a good time. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, so I would recommend checking them out for a few hours one afternoon or hosting an event there.

    Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society in Surrey, BC…read more We had a lovely time Saturday, July 14, 2018. Our 3 y/o daughter loves trains and we had seen the train a couple month prior (I think they were preparing and maybe advertising) going down the tracks as we drove along side them. The volunteers were all very lovely. There were a lot of them, probably 10+ people. I was at first sticker shocked at the admission prices but the train ride was almost an hour. The commentary from one of the volunteers was great. He provided a lot of history and facts on the first half of the stretch. It was a bit of a long ride for our daughter, she was good to go after the first 20 mins. There are also no washrooms onboard once you leave the station, obviously, so you have to make sure you go before you leave. They had a simulator that you could drive while you waited for your train to depart. She really enjoyed that! I'd recommend this attraction if you can afford it. It cost us $50 for our family of three. Adults are $20 & kids 2-11 years are $10.

    Vancouver Lookout - tours - Updated June 2026

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